March

Blog Posts in March, 2011

Shoplifting , or retail theft, is a crime that occurs when somebody takes merchandise from a store without paying for it. There is no "shoplifting" offense in Florida, in and of itself. The charge is a theft crime, depending on the value of the item. Retail thefts are typically proven through the eyewitness accounts of store security officers, or loss prevention officers (LPOs). Sometimes, there ...

A jewelry store reopened Wednesday, a day after an alleged robbery occurred there. Earlier this week, Snow's Jewelers, located at 299 Miracle Mile, was the target of an alleged robbery . A suspect entered the store and reportedly smashed a glass case with a crowbar, and grabbed three high-priced Fendi watches before he dashed out into the streets. The owner of the store said that he and a female ...

WSVN reports that Broward County has seen a rise in car burglaries at dog parks. A car burglary is technically known as a burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and is a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum of 5 years in state prison. Burglary of an unoccupied conveyance is typically charged along with other theft and property crimes, such as criminal mischief (if any property is damaged), ...

Today's Sun Sentinel reports that South Florida has seen a rise in cargo thefts over the past decade. Cargo thefts, which can consist of massive heists involving millions of dollars in stolen goods. Cargo thefts may involve elaborate schemes, which is why those charged with cargo theft are often charged with grand theft first-degree (if the dollar amount is over $100,000), and organized scheme to ...

The Miami Herald reports that a Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge has sentenced former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins to 5 years in state prison for a probation violation . In 2005, Robbins was placed on probation in Miami-Dade County for several counts of battery on a law enforcement officer after he allegedly got into a violent scuffle with Miami Beach police. Robbins has a long and ...

Miami-Dade Schools Police said that they have documented as many as 10 incidents of burglary at schools across Miami-Dade County during spring break. According to police reports, several of the incidents were captured on surveillance video. The video allegedly captured suspects wearing masks and hoods and causing damage to the property. The incidents stretched throughout Miami-Dade County, and ...

CBS 4 reports that agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration stormed a rumored pill mill in Northwest Miami-Dade Wednesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation. The pain clinic, located near the 6000 block of Northwest 72nd Avenue, was raided in the morning as patients stood in line outside of the business. Federal agents ran background checks on those patients, likely looking to see ...

NBC Miami reports that a 92-year-old Florida woman has been arrested after she opened fire with her handgun on a neighbor's house after he refused to give her a kiss. Allegedly, the accused has had a crush on her neighbor since he moved in to the neighborhood. It is reported that the alleged victim, who is about 40 years younger than the accused, was the object of the accused's affection. As well, ...

Most criminal cases are resolved through plea negotiations . That's because it is often better to work toward a favorable resolution rather than risk a guilty verdict at trial. If the evidence is weak and the facts are heavily in your favor, you may want to take your case to jury trial . However, if there is evidence against you or even a likelihood of conviction, you may want to resolve your case ...

A search warrant is a document, signed by a judge, that gives law enforcement the authority to search your property. Under Florida Statutes section 933.07 , a warrant may be issued when, "the judge, upon examination of the application and proofs submitted, if satisfied that probable cause exists for the issuing of the search warrant, shall thereupon issue a search warrant signed by him or her with ...

The Palm Beach Post reports that a judge has agreed to seal the criminal record of a 26-year-old former sheriff's deputy's wife arrested in 2007 after her husband turned over a video of her having sex with a 16-year-old boy. Originally charged with a serious felony, good work by her criminal defense attorney permitted her to plead guilty to battery on a child and serve 18 months on probation. Upon ...

The Sun Sentinel reports that a man charged with DUI manslaughter after a September 2010 crash with a new member of the Miami Heat dance squad was released from jail on bond Friday. The accused, a Fort Lauderdale man, surrendered to authorities Thursday to face five charges in the death of the 22-year old Miami Heat dancer. Police said that the accused's blood alcohol levels were three times the ...

A man is in police custody after a SWAT standoff that occurred in Miami yesterday afternoon. Authorities arrested a 32-year-old man after a standoff at the Saturn Motel, located at Biscayne Boulevard and 71 Street, that practically shut down the city's busiest street. According to Miami Police, as well as WSVN , they were searching for a carjacking subject, which led them to the motel. When police ...

After over three weeks of testimony, it took a Miami-Dade jury only 90 minutes to find former Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones not guilty of one count of bribery, and one count of grand theft . The State's case was weak from the start, but it was based on the allegation that Spence-Jones leveraged her position as a Miami City Commissioner to obtain a donation from a wealthy developer ...

Broward communities such as Weston and Parkland have become the targets of burglars, according to the Sun Sentinel . Law enforcement officials state that strings of burglaries in affluent gated suburbs in both of these Broward cities have occurred. These alleged burglaries have occurred when residents are not home. This makes the crime burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. Burglary of an unoccupied ...

Today's Miami Herald reports that after three weeks of testimony, the State of Florida, represented by an Assistant State Attorney, has rested its case in the bribery and grand theft trial of former Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. Now we all know from TV that lawyers will announce in court, "I rest my case." Legally speaking, it is said during the course of a jury trial to inform ...

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) today announced the arrest of 76 individuals and the seizure of more than 28,000 prescription pills in "Operation Pain Killer II," an aggressive two-month initiative targeting Central Florida prescription drug traffickers. This initiative was a continuation of the cooperative effort by Central Florida law enforcement to combat the epidemic of ...

In recent days, a story has broken in the local news regarding allegations that a Miami man set his girlfriend on fire. The girlfriend later died at the hospital. The woman's boyfriend was the suspect, whose whereabouts were unknown. Yesterday, Miami-Dade Police arrested the boyfriend on charges of first degree murder , battery on a person 65 years or older , and burglary with an assault or ...

The Sun Sentinel reports that one of three co-defendants charged with the robbery and murder of a West Palm Beach jewelry store owner was sentenced on Friday to life in prison plus 120 years. The defendant, who faced sentencing enhancements under Florida's career criminal statutes, was convicted on February 16, 2011, of the armed robbery and shooting death of the owner of the jewelry store. The ...

WSVN reports that Hialeah Police have released surveillance footage, which allegedly shows a man being shot while trying to repossess a car. While a repo man was attempting to repossess the accused's car, it is alleged that the accused shot the repo man, striking him in the torso. Police said that the accused jumped into his car while it was being towed and shot a 9mm pistol at the repo man and ...

Whether the charge is a misdemeanor or a felony, chances are that your probation will include special conditions. A special condition of probation is something that the Court may require you to do that may not be an ordinary condition of probation. For instance, both Miami-Dade and Broward administer their probation differently, and each county has its own inherent conditions of probation. These ...

The Miami Herald published an article recently about how those heading to South Beach for this year's spring break should be aware that Miami Beach police will be stepping up enforcement. Spring break arrests typically happen to out-of-towners. Usually young college-age people with no criminal records. Most of the arrests are alcohol-related. Spring break arrests commonly occur on or near the ...

NBC Miami reports that Miami-Dade Police have arrested Carmen Barahona, the wife of Jorge Barahona and the foster mother of 10-year old twins Victor and Nubia Barahona. The story made national news in February when Jorge Barahona was found inside of his truck, along with Victor and Nubia. Victor was found badly injured and Nubia was dead in the back of the truck. Just the other day, Carmen ...

A man from Michigan is accused of using his car to strike the car of a Boca Raton police officer. According to reports, the accused struck the driver's side of the patrol car, causing both cars to swerve onto the sidewalk. Upon his arrest, the accused gave a statement to police , in which he told investigators that he was in a rage and stressed out by personal issues. He also admitted to taking ...